Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will not seek reelection in 2026, he announced on the chamber floor Thursday, bringing an end to the longest-serving Senate leader’s political career.
“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said.
“Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
Also in the Senate, lawmakers voted to confirm Kash Patel to lead the FBI.
Elsewhere in Washington, Vice President Vance kicked off this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) with a speech to the conservative crowd in National Harbor, Md.
The annual conference, which traditionally has brought together difference factions of the Republican Party, has become increasingly aligned with President Trump’s MAGA wing.
Other speakers slated to appear at the conference include former Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Follow live updates here.
